How to re-think plastics – interview with Chris Grantham, IDEO
“Now is the time for implementation. We must now begin to practice what we have preached – changing our production and consumption patterns in order to create virtuous cycles rather than depletive ones and harnessing the global interconnectedness, communications technology and breakthroughs in materials science.” This is the sentiment with which President of the UN […]
Great Barrier Reef: advisers call for cap on farm pollution
Taskforce head reportedly tells Queensland government ‘we’re stuffed with a capital S’ if water quality isn’t improved A cap on pollution from farms close to the Great Barrier Reef has been proposed by advisers to the Queensland government. The Great Barrier Reef water science taskforce, which advises the Queensland government on how to meet pollution […]
Spring happens all at once, and the woods feel giddy
Wenlock Edge Dark, gnarled trunks of old hawthorns have suddenly become lithe and sinuous, like shadow dancers behind curtains of haze ‘May-time, fair season … blackbirds sing a full song, if there be a scanty beam of day,” sang an unknown Irish poet in what we now call the dark ages. Today, the light through […]
US releases millions of wasps to fight ash tree borer
Parasite fron China attacks eggs and larvae of Asian insect pest that has wiped out tens of millions of trees Millions of tiny wasps that are natural parasites for the emerald ash borer have been released into wooded areas in 24 states of the US to try and peg back the tree-killing insect’s advances. The […]
Coastal flooding: a sign of the damage our economy is wreaking on our fragile environment
A report ranking cities most at risk from coastal flooding is a stark reminder that the old paradigm of economic development and prosperity no longer holds true In January this year, I visited friends in Miami. One of the most urgent topics of conversation was about what they saw as the greatest problem faced by […]
Poland starts logging primeval Bialowieza forest despite protests
More than 180,000 cubic metres of forest to be cut down in area that is home to Europe’s largest mammal and tallest trees Poland has started logging in the ancient Bialowieza forest, which includes some of Europe’s last primeval woodland, despite fierce protests from environmental groups battling to save the World Heritage site. “The operation […]
Taronga zoo to light up for Sydney's Vivid festival – video
Giant animals will light up Sydney’s Taronga zoo as part of the Vivid festival. The festival centerpiece features 10 animal lanterns representing the endangered species the zoo is committing to helping, as part of its centenary celebrations. The animal sculptures will include a Sumatran tiger, Asian elephant, sun bear and a platypus, which will go […]
Air pollution could increase risk of stillbirth, study suggests
Exposure to vehicular and industrial emissions heightens risk during pregnancy, researchers say Exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of stillbirth, new research suggests. Stillbirths, classed as such if a baby is born dead after 24 weeks of pregnancy, occur in one in every 200 births. Around 11 babies are stillborn every day in […]
Insurance companies taking too big a risk on fossil fuels, report says
The US insurance industry is the second largest institutional investor in oil, gas and coal – but it risks losing money if it doesn’t change its investment strategy The US insurance industry, the country’s second largest institutional investor in oil, gas and coal with $459bn in fossil fuel investments, needs to divest or face serious […]
NSW last in class on Climate Council report card for renewable energy use
South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory take the green podium for their efforts and policies pushing renewable energy targets New South Wales is the worst Australian state at driving renewable energy, and South Australia and the ACT lead the pack, a report produced by the Climate Council has found. The results came just weeks […]